End of the week

Stephanie got a call Thursday from the assistant principal at Vincent’s school that – after suspending him earlier in the week – they wanted to go further. The two of us went in there early Thursday afternoon – with two of Vincent’s remaining textbooks – and were told how Vincent had made some threatening comments on his cell phone just outside the front door (something he only disputed in part).

Vincent will have to go back to the district office the three of us went to in December and he will probably not only never be allowed back at his school but probably will only have the option of transferring to one or two other schools in the district. We may end up going with a counselor’s suggestion that we’d officially be homeschooling him while he actually took on-line (paid) classes through the school district and the state of KY. (I’ve also belatedly been exploring General Education Diploma options – which the incident this week may foil.) As Stephanie – who took the afternoon off – drove home, she only got – on the phone with him – to the homeschooling part (without being able to explain it). Vincent said he didn’t want her to have to quit her job, and then apparently ran off – even leaving Frisco running around the house (instead of in the kennel downstairs) (which we never do). Vincent didn’t answer his cell phone and Stephanie, who got worried, started at home to call Vincent’s friends. Vincent’s friend's mother – who had stopped by Wednesday – said Vincent said some troubling things that sounded vaguely suicidal. (Stephanie even reached some of Vincent’s friend in Denmark by instant-messaging). Stephanie and I changed our Facebook statuses to reflect our concern and soon a church friend called to update us on how to apply for a mental health inquest warrant on Vincent (like “Baker Act-ing” someone who’s a danger to him/herself or others in Florida), which we had investigated a little. With still no sign of Vincent, Stephanie drove downtown to the Jefferson County (KY) Hall of Justice, where we’d never been, and applied for such a warrant (I stopped by for a while). Ironically, Vincent – who had apparently walked to Hikes Point and back without his phone – called back to say he was fine (and he sounded better) seconds before Hall of Justice folks called Stephanie in to communicate (indirectly) with the judge. She decided on the spot to go ahead with the process and learned – among other things – that the two parents who had applied for these warrants immediately before her – for their teenagers – were told No (typical teenage behavior, thke judge said). Stephanie and the official filled a whole page of details and the judge told her Yes. While I was off running errands, Stephanie came home and then had to pretend that everything was normal for 45 minutes – Vincent was back playing video games after a short conversation. Several good things happened late Thursday – lots of folks contacted Stephanie by calls and e-mails and Facebook with good suggestions, Vincent turned out to be OK, and then Vincent responded OK to the arrival of three police officers – he didn’t try to fight them or try to run away. One police officer (the one who stayed at the hospital the longest) had come out to the house before, and another knows Vincent’s friend’s mother. I came home after they left, but – lo and behold, contrary to what officials had told her early – Kosair Children’s Hospital called 15 minutes later to ask Stephanie where she was. She hopped in the car and went down to the hospital (only I had been there before). I walked the dog, talked with Vincent’s friend and mother who had planned to stop by to pow-wow, and picked up a pizza Stephanie had asked me to pick up belatedly. I ended up finding in the downtown Kosair emergency room (ironically, just a couple of blocks from Vincent’s school) first Vincent, being first Vincent, being interviewed by a medical student.

I gave him a slice of pizza and then sat with Stephanie, who was to be interviewed separately. I then sat with Vincent, in lieu of the police officer or a security guard. Then Stephanie returned while we waited for a psychiatrist – and we actually had a fun time eating pizza and vending machine snacks, drinking Sprite, and talking for an hour or two before I got tired and went home, partly to rescue the dog, partly to get a little rest before going to work (Stephanie had earlier in the evening called her principal and told her she would not be there Friday – although statewide standardized tests that Stephanie must help administer to the English as a New Language students at her school look all next week starting Monday.) Throughout my time there the ER was packed with kids and their families – and Stephanie said Vincent and she stayed in their temporary room all along because the psychiatric ER win was crowded and there was a very distressed and loud little girl there. Eventually, a psychiatrist talked with Stephanie and Vincent and said he though Vincent’s problems were too complex for psychiatric medication to fix and recommended that Vincent be admitted to Wellstone, a short-term inpatient psychiatric treatment facility across the river in Indiana, not too far from where I used to get my haircut.

One of the more hairy moments of the evening apparently was the security and ambulance staff arriving to tie Vincent down in a stretcher and take him by ambulance some 20 minutes away to Wellstone. Stephanie drove her car and they apparently got there around day break (while I was getting ready for work). They admitted Vincent and then Stephanie went home and then back to bring Vincent more clothes and some books (none of Vincent’s vampire or zombie books – considered to violent or provocative). Vincent is also not allowed to wear a belt because even if he’s not violent or suicidal others might be. Another hairy moment came when it became obvious to Vincent that they were going to take a blood sample (to test for drug residue, neurochemical abnormalities, other health issues). Vincent hates needles. Vincent was not enamored about having to be involved in group work and not enamored about losing his cell phone (Stephanie took it home - he was still text-messaging with his friend while handcuffed in the police car on the way to Kosair) and not being able to have visitors today (so no talking with his friend Samantha).

Wellstone has called Stephanie and me several times since then (Stephanie has gotten no sleep). We had an insurance scare. Apparently we will still pay something like $1,200. Vincent can have visitors at 2:30 p.m. Saturday (and he will miss a wedding of a former student at his school, which he’s disappointed about). They’ve tentatively diagnosed him with a mood disorder and suggested a prescription to anti-psychotic medication that’s supposed to smooth out his angry and listless moods. He may end up staying longer than the two or three days we thought – maybe even a week. Thanks to all who have called, e-mailed, instant-messaged, and Facebooked with support and suggestions (including Allen and Stu who gave us information about the mental health inquest; Vincent’s friend and her family who have been concerned; and even staff at Vincent’s school who I believe really cared about him among other things on their minds.). Hats off to Stephanie for being concerned about Vincent Thursday afternoon and taking the bull by the horns and doing something about it (even at the risk of alienating Vincent). Stephanie said as I left last night that I don’t know if this will help but at least Vincent should know that someone care about him (even if he doesn’t agree with exactly what we did). I’m also thankful for that goofy hour with Vincent last night when for a moment we were not harried or angry but just punchy from exhaustion and hanging out like we might have done a little more regularly in the past.

-- Perry